


Drifting

by RadarsTeddyBear



Series: Ducktober 2018 [16]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Fictober, Gen, Questioning Reality, Sensory Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 08:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16322792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadarsTeddyBear/pseuds/RadarsTeddyBear
Summary: Lena tries to enjoy a lazy day by herself, but it doesn't end so well.





	Drifting

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: ["Sensory Deprivation"](http://radarsteddybear.tumblr.com/post/169006603389/whumpreads-i-dont-draw-but-ive-been-thinking).

Lena was floating.  She was relaxed. Her eyes were closed, and it was quiet.  No one else was around. Lena let her thoughts drift.

She and Webby had absolutely creamed Huey, Dewey, and Louie in their foam dart gun fight yesterday, even though they were technically outnumbered.  They were all gone today, on some adventure with Mr. McDuck. Lena had decided not to go because, in all honesty, she needed a break. Besides, it seemed like it would be one of the more dangerous adventures, and Lena’s body could only deal with so much adrenaline.

Donald had gone, though.  Which was kind of weird, since he didn’t go along all that often, but Lena certainly wasn’t going to complain.  Then again, he had been making more of an effort to, Lena wasn’t sure what to call it, be friends?  Which was also weird, but surprisingly not bad.  Though she still had trouble understanding him.

It was almost like being back in the Shadow Realm, in a way.  Like there was something in the way, something blocking her from hearing the words clearly.  But, also like in the Shadow Realm, she could still understand enough to get the basic gist of what he was saying.  Usually.

Lena shuddered.  Just thinking about the Shadow Realm made her anxious.  Sometimes, she felt like she might slip into it at any moment.  It was the worst at night, when everything was quiet and dark and nothing felt real.  There were always so many shadows here in the Manor that Lena saw Magica lurking behind every corner and piece of furniture, and when she didn’t see Magica, she saw the shadows rising and swallowing her up.  She found herself having to do things like run her hand against the wall as she walked and rub the fabric of her shirt or her blanket in between her fingers to convince herself that she was _real_ and tangible.  

Panic suddenly caught in her throat.  She couldn’t feel anything. _She couldn’t feel anything_.  She couldn’t hear anything and she couldn’t see anything _and she couldn’t feel anything_.  

Lena sat up in the bathtub, splashing and sputtering.  She looked down at herself, her hands, her body, her feet.  She was here. She was solid. She wasn’t a shadow.

Lena pulled the drain and stepped out of the tub, roughly rubbing herself with the towel to remind herself that she was _real_ and she was _here_ and she was _safe_.  She pulled her shirt and her sweater back on and stepped out of the bathroom, grateful for the cool chill that greeted her.

Lena tried to keep her breathing steady as she searched for Mrs. Beakley; she desperately needed the company.  _You’re safe here.  No one can reach you_ , she told herself.  _There are enough defenses in place that Magica can’t get you here.  Nobody but her can open up the door to the Shadow Realm. The Shadow Realm isn’t a sentient being that wants you back; it’s not going to come after you_.  On a logical level, Lena _knew_ all of this.

Still.  The fear remained.


End file.
